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The Paradise Paradox - by James Peterson (Hardcover)
About this item
Highlights
- From large-scale conflicts to our own private search for meaning, the quest for Paradise lies at the heart of human anxiety.
- Author(s): James Peterson
- 514 Pages
- History, Civilization
Description
About the Book
Drawing on years of experience in the Middle East, The Paradise Paradox leaves no stone unturned in a personal journey across time and dimensions, society and beliefs to explore the human quest for Paradise and perfection.
Book Synopsis
From large-scale conflicts to our own private search for meaning, the quest for Paradise lies at the heart of human anxiety.
We see it in the religious conflicts of the Middle East, the imperial ambitions of Russia, the Marxist promise of the Workers' Paradise, and in Western progressive dreams of perfected societies. Wherever we look, this seductive promise of Paradise drives violence and inequality.
The Paradise Paradox leaves no stone unturned in a personal journey across time and dimensions, traversing the breadth of human society and ideology. Drawing on archeology, anthropology, religion, and the politics of the Middle East, this is an intimate search for answers to the perennial questions of why we remember Paradise and whether we can find it again.
Review Quotes
The Paradise Paradox intertwines the author's own personal journey, which led him from Appalachia to living and working in Israel, Turkey and the Middle East with his quest for a non-violent religion by probing the history of religions and scriptures of the ancient Near East.
A key theme is looking at the potential within religious and secular apocalypticisms for religious violence. Peterson's very engaging insights into religion, civilization and the use and abuse of biblical stories are critical for our time.
Dr. Philip A. Quanbeck II Professor Emeritus of Religion Augsburg University, Minneapolis, MN
Those who know James realize that he sees beneath the surface.
If you care about the people of the Middle East, its history, and its future you can finally meet James. You will be pulled into his story, as you follow the unlikely saga of how a young man from West Virginia ended up meeting religious leaders across the 'cradle of civilization.'
When James speaks, I listen. And take notes.
Jim Orred, Senior Leader, Youth With A Mission